Hampton University President William R. Harvey is hoping to help his students by spreading his leadership style overseas.

Harvey’s latest book, “Principles of Leadership: The Harvey Leadership Model,” has been translated to Mandarin and will be sold throughout China.

In turn, as people buy and learn the 10 principles he lays out in the book, the profits will fund student scholarships at the institution that Harvey had led for four decades.

“Whether or not it’s a corporation, foundation or higher education institution or anything, I believe that leadership is key,” Harvey said. “And the fact is that leaders need to understand the nuances of leadership, and leadership isn’t putting your fingers in the air and going whichever way the wind blows.

“I just believe very strongly in the principles that I have articulated, not only in the book, but that I have lived by in my professional life, including the 40 years that I’ve been here at Hampton.”

The book officially launched in China on Friday, and Harvey planned to video chat with potential customers at the Beijing Book Fair on Thursday night.

The Mandarin version of the book will be for sale in bookstores through China, including the Xinhua chain, and will be available on several Chinese online retailers such as Amazon China.

“This was the fastest book deal I’ve ever negotiated,” said Julia Wilson, CEO and founder of Wilson Global Communications, said in a news release from HU. Wilson brokered the book deal with the Intellectual Property Publishing House Co. Ltd. in Beijing.

Harvey, president of Hampton University for 40 years, graduated from Talladega in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He and his...

“Over the course of just a few months, Dr. Harvey’s Chief of Staff Dr. Charrita D. Danley and I met with three major Chinese book publishers in Beijing, all of whom made strong offers to publish the book,” Wilson said in the release. “We believe we aligned with one of the best.”

Harvey, who has traveled to China several times, has not yet decided what types of scholarships the book sales will fund, as he and his wife, Norma, have set up various types of scholarships over the years, depending on needs.

He also won’t divulge how many books he hopes to sell, but either way, he said, it’s a win for students — and an example of his 10th key principle: results.

“I think it’s incredible,” Harvey said. “It seems to be a sincere and a pretty strong interest in the book and its principles. … If we are able to do what I hope we can do, the beneficiary is really going to be the students who get the scholarships.”

To buy a copy — in English — of the “Principles of Leadership,” visit amazon.com.

Hammond can be reached by phone at 757-247-4951 or on Twitter @byjanehammond.